5: Under the Mountain Sky
by Ceu Praca
Summary: Imet Alesar is a place of ancient magic, the cold sanctuary of a Sheikah warrior who fills the night with song. One month after the events of "Dragon Sword," only one individual knows where to find the missing Hero's Shadow: on the summit of a snowy mountain, underneath the starry sky. ****Book 2 of the Old Hyrule Saga****
1. Prologue

**A/N: **This is a direct sequel to the AU story, _Dragon Sword_. Please do not read this until you have read _DS_, otherwise you will likely be _really_ confused. If you have read _Dragon Sword_ already, then read on! :o) This is written in third person, and is from the viewpoints of both Sheik and Zelda. Those who have _really_ been paying attention to this series will likely understand a few vague references/foreshadows/random thingies. XD

**Disclaimer: **Yeah, I don't own the _Legend of Link_, er, _Zelda_. What else do you want to know, my home address? Just...never mind. Ugh. I _wish_ I owned LoZ.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

* * *

**Prologue**

There was an old tale in Hyrule, that when the sun fell to sleep below the horizon, the mountain of snow transformed into unspeakable splendor. Few dared venture to the treacherous summit of _Imet Alesar_ at night, so few knew whether the legend was true. Those who were brave enough to do so refused to tell what they had seen, and so…the legend remained a myth in the heart and minds of the people.

Seven years ago, a girl had come to the mountain during the day and her caretaker had told her the legend. And when the sky grew dark and the stars emerged, the myth became reality. Nay, the legend came _alive_. And on that night, a seven-year-old beheld the true heart of _Imet Alesar_, when the snow glowed with otherworldly magic that was more than the reflection of the moon, when the darkness fled and the ice drakes sang.

She went back down the mountain at dawn, and had never returned, leaving it an untouched fortress of solitary beauty, her tiny footprints soon erased by the wind.

Nine years passed, and the innocent girl grew into a young woman, tarnished by the horrors of war and death. In the aftermath of a final battle, her guardian and closest friend had vanished after being fatally wounded. A month went by without sign of him, and one late evening as she lay in bed, wondering if the sacred fox had lied to her about him being alive, her thoughts wandered to the ethereal summit, remembering the legend that she learned from her friend, the words he had spoken to her that night.

_This mountain is our secret, a land where none can find us. This is the only place where I will ever feel truly at ease, in the cold wind and under the ancient sky. Here is where my music is born and flows through the farthest reaches of the kingdom. If ever you are lost, never forget that_ Imet Alesar _is a realm of safety._


	2. Ice Wolves

**1: Ice Wolves**

As dawn slowly crept over Hyrule, the princess rose from her bed and dressed herself in the dark blue garb of the Sheikah, settling into her old guise comfortably and arming herself with the knives she had carried during the years she spent in hiding.

Then she left, escaping the small house in Kakariko via a window and slipping out into the lightening fields, running swiftly over the long grass.

Zora's Domain was never quite asleep; at least half of them were usually awake at this hour, and they weren't bothered by her moving through their halls. After all, the Sheikah had always been the allies of the aquatic race, and they were used to unusual things passing through their home.

The cave near Jabun's shrine was still encrusted with ice even after the spell was broken; most never knew that the cave wasn't just a hole in the cliff, but rather a pathway to _Imet Alesar_. Even in summer, the mountain was always laced in winter and…something else. Her friend never had explained to her what made the mountain glow, but she knew it was far more than mere snow.

It was more than the cold air that stole her breath when she left the cave on the other side; the mountain was exactly as she had remembered, unchanged by time, the ice still shimmering with a faint blue aura that she knew would shift into a radiant splendor come nightfall.

She hesitated, knowing that the mountain was so massive that finding one man amidst the deep snow would be difficult. It had been so long, she couldn't quite recall where the cave he'd shown her was. So she took a deep breath and began to sing.

_"Like a fire burning bright,  
__Overtaking all this night;  
__Unstoppable force none can contend,  
__Power rages through all ends."_

She paused to listen for a moment, the final notes of the verse echoing on the still air; hearing nothing, she sighed and began walking up the steep slope. Growing weary after a while from treading the deep snow, she halted again and leaned against a cold rock, her sharp eyes taking in every detail of her surroundings.

At first glance, the mountain looked desolate and uninhabited, but she could sense hostile eyes watching her. There were packs of wolfos here, she remembered, highly intelligent and capable of melding into the snow magically.

Nervously, knowing that she would stand no chance if she had to fight the packs alone, she sang the next verse of the song, praying that her friend was here and would hear her.

_"River's waters flowing calm,  
__Keeping vow to never do harm;  
__Quieting power without a sword,  
__Wisdom rules with gentle words."_

A low snarl made her stiffen, and she turned slowly, finally meeting the gaze of the hidden watcher: a lone wolfos, its 'fur' jagged and translucent, eyes glowing red. It made an eerie crackling sound, like ice, when it raised its lips to show long fangs, growling softly.

"What, you don't like my voice?" she asked, annoyed. One wolfos, she could handle. An entire pack of them, not so much, so she could only hope that it wouldn't have friends nearby.

In response, it barked and lunged; she whipped out her knives and slashed them upward, piercing the beast through its throat with one, and ramming the other deep into its gut.

She threw it off, grunting at how heavy it was, and it whined, collapsing and melting into the snow before it - or another one similar to it - reappeared, attacking with a high leap, crashing down onto her. The angle of its attack made her knives sink into its belly easily, and it against vanished, then six more appeared.

_Gran'sula!_ she cursed inwardly, crouching low and holding the knives ready, her back pressed against the rock defensively. _They're made from nothing but magic and ice; of course I can't kill them!_ She had no hope of running, though; the snow was too deep.

Something blue flashed in the corner of her eye, and her attention was distracted for a mere moment, but it was enough; one of the wolfos tackled her, and she lost on knife, her other hand pinned under the creature's paw. Evidently, they'd learned quickly.

She shielded herself within a spell as the wolfos bit down at her neck, its teeth breaking against the magic with a loud crack, but the fangs simply grew back and it kept pounding against the barrier with the force that would soon break it.

Before it could strike again, its head suddenly vanished with a loud hiss, the entire front half of the wolfos melting and collapsing into nothing, and she found herself looking up at a young man.

Warily, she lowered the shield, and the man, only a teenager really, grinned at her, gesturing at the snowdrifts with his longbow. "Having some trouble, ma'am?"

She glared at him, standing up slowly and sheathing her knife, looking around until she spotted her other one and retrieving that as well. "You could have shown up sooner, kid."

He shrugged, nonchalantly shooting an arrow at another wolfos that had been creeping up behind him, the shaft bursting into flame just before striking the beast, melting it instantly. "Sorry, I was having fun watching; you were handling yourself pretty well against them, until they ganged up on you like that."

The woman eyed him curiously. "You've grown."

He chuckled. "It's been three years; I'm not eight anymore. What brings the queen of Hyrule to _Imet Alesar_?"

"I won't be coronated until after I turn eighteen; I'm still just a princess. And I'm looking for Kao; do you know where he is?"

The boy tensed, looping his bow over one shoulder. "Uh…yes. But how did you know he was here?"

"I figured it out because I'm just that smart," she retorted, smacking his shoulder lightly. "C'mon, Amur, show me where he is."

Amur raised an eyebrow, then shrugged, smirking and nodding his head toward the highest peak. "He's in the valley. Just don't be shocked when you see him; being injured really doesn't suit the guy."

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: **New character introduced! =D Amur is awesome, but then again, maybe I'm just biased. XD In my AU, Jabu-Jabu is just "Jabun," and Jabu-Jabu is the nickname that the little kids(Ruto and Link) call him because they're just not mature enough to use his real name. :P Of course, by the time this is all happening, Jabun is dead or missing. Admit it, if you couldn't turn into a wolf in _Twilight Princess_, you'd be getting beat up by the wolfos of Snowpeak, too. Oh, yeah, if you haven't guessed yet, _Imet Alesar _is Snowpeak Mountain. XD


	3. Reunification

**2: Reunification**

She followed Amur up the mountain until they reached the peak, where they stopped next to a tree to catch their breaths. Strange to find a tree so high up on the mountain, but it didn't look ordinary; in fact, it looked like it was carved from solid ice, with large, man-sized leaves that glowed bright blue. _Maybe something created by magic?_

She diverted her attention from the tree and studied him closely; he was wearing clothes made from some kind of weird, blue leather, and more knives than she could count, all of varying kinds, were tucked into his belt. His black hair was long and shaggy, obviously having not had a haircut in quite a while, and he was shockingly tall for his age, nearly five and a half feet already, with enough muscle added on that he looked more like he was sixteen rather than his true age of eleven. A far cry from the skittish, scrawny child she'd met three years ago.

He glanced at her and smiled, gesturing with one hand to the vast expanse of snow below them. "Gorgeous, isn't it? I never get sick of this view. It's even better at night."

"Yes…I remember," she murmured softly, following his hand to stare down at the valley he had mentioned before. It was a _long_ way down, and, though she wasn't afraid of heights, she felt strangely giddy, the cold air exhilarating her. "Should we keep going? It'll take a while to walk down there."

Amur smirked, then spun on one heel and kicked the tree harshly with his boots, which she could see were spiked on the bottom, likely to provide grip in such an icy region. In response to his sudden violence, the tree shook delicately, and a number of leaves fell, one of them narrowly missing her and slamming into the snowdrift.

"Who said anything about walking?" he asked innocently, though a dangerous grin was beginning to form. "Surely you aren't afraid of speed?"

She eyed him, wondering what he might be considering, then he grabbed one of the ice leaves and launched himself on it, using it as a sled and shooting quickly down the slope. The woman frowned, then gingerly picked up another leaf, studying it before setting it carefully on the snow, smooth-side down, the top surface rough from the leaf's 'veins.'

A twinge of excitement sparked in her, and without further contemplation, the princess stepped back, took a short skip of glee, then ran and dove onto the leaf-sled, her momentum causing it to rocket down the snow so quickly that her breath was ripped away from her.

Using magic to shield her eyes so she could see, she finally drew a breath and giggled girlishly with a daredevil joy as she steered it rapidly down the mountain, dodging rocks, blue crystals, and keese until the makeshift sled eventually slid to a halt and she stood up shakily, hearing laughter nearby.

She looked over, seeing that Amur was standing a little ways away, and standing next to him was a tall, blonde man who looked foreign at first, then she saw his bright, crimson eyes peering at her through his long, unkempt hair. Her heart skipped a beat, and she ran, tackling him into the snowdrift and hugging him tightly.

"Zelda!" he scolded, chuckling and returning her embrace, his beard tickling her when he gave a light kiss to her cheek.

Amur groaned. "Ew, not in front of the kid!"

They ignored him, holding each other's gaze silently for a moment as if in a trance, then Zelda returned the kiss, _not_ on his cheek, scrunching up her nose at the tickly feeling against her lips. "What's with the face-fur?"

He groaned, rolling over to pin her underneath him, a playful smile barely visible. "We haven't seen each other in over a _month_, and that's all you can say? No 'I'm happy you're alive' speech?"

She raised an eyebrow, reaching up to lightly touch the center of his chest, where the dark lord's sword had pierced. "I suppose I should comment that it's nice to see you without a gaping hole in your torso. Have you been on this mountain the entire time?"

He shrugged. "For the past three weeks, yes."

"That leaves out two weeks and one day," she reprimanded. "Don't keep secrets from me, Kao."

"It's a long story," the Sheikah replied vaguely, then visibly shivered. "Let's stop rolling in the snow, shall we?"

He got off of her and held out one hand; she took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet, eyeing him suspiciously. "You seem fine; why haven't you returned to Hyrule yet?"

Kao gave her a slightly guilty look. "Quite a few reasons, actually. I'll explain in a few minutes, I promise. First, let's just get out of the cold."

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: **By the way, if you've never viewed the list on my profile about my views on the shipping wars in the Zeldaverse...Yeah, I ship SheikxZelda. XD And that tree...seriously, that tree just looks so out of place; I decided to say that it's solid ice and made from magic. :P


	4. Explain

**A/N: **This one is a little bit shorter. And, by the way, this entire story will be shorter than my fics normally are, because it's more of a filler-thing explaining what happens in the time between _Dragon Sword_ and the story that occurs immediately after this, _The Mountain Swords (Allegiance)._

* * *

**3: Explain**

He led her into a sheltered cave, which was filled with glowing, blue crystals that emitted enough heat that the entire cavern was surprisingly warm. Zelda smiled; it was the same cave she'd remembered from her childhood, the one he'd brought her to when they'd first visited the mountain together.

Kao sat on a thick blanket and beckoned for her to join him. She did so willingly, snuggling in close to his side and wrapping her arms around him. She'd missed him so much, but to have him here now, they easily slipped back into their old habits as if no time had passed between them.

For a while, they didn't say anything, just sat there enjoying each other's presence, then Zelda twisted slightly to look up into his eyes, stroking his cheek lightly with one hand, unused to him feeling so rough. "Why'd you grow a beard?"

He reached up to touch his hair a little self-consciously. "Before, I was too wounded to shave, and after, it just never occurred to me. It's hard to trim facial hair without water, and thawing ice in this place…next to impossible. So yes, I look like an unrefined savage now, don't I?"

"I thought Sheikah never had to worry about shaving in the first place," she teased gently, chuckling at his miffed expression. "Immortal hair or something like that, right?"

"I'm only _half_ Sheikah, you twit," he retorted, flicking her ear just hard enough to make her flinch. "Evidently the Hylian side of me won out. How did you know to find me here? Did Keaton tell you?"

She glowered darkly at that. "Keaton hasn't told me anything. I was on the verge of hunting him down until I remembered this place, that you once brought me here when we were kids. It made sense, that this would have been somewhere you would feel safe enough to recover. Now are you going to tell me why you seem totally uninjured when you had a five-foot-long sword stuck through you only a month ago?"

"_Alesar's_ magic," he replied simply, shrugging.

She grimaced, but didn't pry; he'd been evasive and mystical about the mountain's magic nine years ago, and he wasn't likely to have changed about that. "So why haven't you returned, if you're fully healed now?"

"Like I said, it's a long story."

"And you _also_ said that you'd tell me," she growled, poking him sharply in the ribs, causing a faint snort of laughter before he quickly composed himself, giving her a stern glare.

She grinned and grazed her hand lightly along his side, making Kao twitch away from her and quickly grab her wrist gently to prevent further tickling. "A lot of things happened after…well, after that battle. It took a number of weeks to heal, and then these past three weeks, I was actually…" He hesitated a moment, looking uncertain, then sighed. "The _Siukmi_ was severely damaged when Ganon stabbed me, and I was spending this time repairing it. Naturally, reforging it took far more than just a goldsmith. I have been here, using _Alesar's_ magic to reconstruct it. That's why you haven't seen Keaton since the day of the battle, and why he vanished quickly; he had barely enough strength left to remain there."

Zelda knew that Keaton's life force was somehow tied to the odd, golden harp that Kao always had with him, but, like with the mountain, he had always been secretive. The most he'd said was that both the golden fox and the _Siukmi_ were somehow one and the same, which had never made much sense to her. As much as she loved the man, his elusive ways did infuriate her. _Will he ever trust me enough to tell me everything?_

"So you managed to repair it, then?" she asked instead, knowing that if she voiced the other question on her mind, he'd likely either shut down and not talk at all, or get incredibly edgy about it.

He held up one hand and a golden mist began to form, growing into a beautiful light that coalesced into the elegant, ancient harp, the _Siukmi_. He smiled warmly, strumming a few quiet notes, then the instrument vanished in a similar fashion, the mist fading back into his hands. "It no longer sounds off-key, so I assume I did a good job. Keaton hasn't complained otherwise."

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: **Wait, Kao is half-_Hylian_? How did _that_ happen?! O_o (For those of you who already know the answer to that..._HUSH!_ Don't say anything in your reviews or you'll spoil things for the people who haven't read that far yet!) Oh, in addition to this being a small in-between story, it's also going to explain a lot more about Keaton.


	5. Timeshift

**4: Timeshift**

"So when are you coming back to Hyrule?" Zelda asked quietly. "You're healed and the _Siukmi_ is repaired, so you have no reason to stay here, right?"

Kao hesitated; he did want to return to the kingdom, but at the same time, he was apprehensive. For one, he wasn't sure what he'd do with himself. Ganondorf was dead and Hyrule was safe, so he wasn't really needed as a guardian anymore. The hero would be able to take care of himself now.

Also… "It's about Amur," he finally answered. "I've left the boy alone on this mountain for long enough while I was fighting Ganon's forces; I don't want him to feel abandoned again."

"Then bring him with you," she responded, frowning. "He'll be more than welcome."

"Except for the small issue of you currently living in _Ka'riko_, and that's where Amur is from," he muttered, feeling a small wave of anger. "If we encounter Kyrilu there…I don't think I'd be able to stop myself from killing the man."

"Kao!" she reprimanded, smacking his arm. "He's just a normal Hylian, not the lord of evil! Honestly, you seem to hate the man worse than you hated Ganon."

The Sheikah gave a tiny shrug, but didn't respond, instead studying the cave floor as if he actually found something interesting there. Zelda sighed, knowing that her friend was incredibly protective of Amur, but she still didn't quite understand the situation between him and Kyrilu; he'd never actually explained it to her.

Seeing that he wasn't going to say anything more, she instead looked around, eyeing the blue crystals that surrounded them. They looked solid, yet glowed brightly, and she reached out, wondering if they felt as warm as they looked; a hand locked around her wrist so quickly that she yelped in surprise, finding herself looking into Kao's glaring eyes.

"Don't touch them," he growled. "They'll mess with you, and I can't guarantee I'd be able to bring you back."

Zelda stared at him, wide-eyed; she hadn't heard him sound so serious since Link almost died in the Shadow Temple. "Th-they are dangerous?"

He release her wrist, glancing at the crystals quickly. "Depends on your point of view. All I can say is that they are powerful, and may or may not cause an existence failure on your part."

"'Existence failure?'" she echoed, thoroughly confused.

He sighed exasperatedly, shaking his head. "They're _Timeshift_ stones, Zel."

She cocked her head, still baffled. "What's a Timeshift stone?"

"These crystals are. When activated, they warp the area around them and alter timeframes. Currently, all of the crystals on the mountain are a combination of on and off; that keeps a steady balance, and this mountain is essentially frozen in time, which is why natural erosion is impossible here. It's hard to explain, but these crystals can control time, and if you start touching them, they could cause you to simply _not exist_."

"But how is that possible? How can a _rock_ control time itself?"

He raised an eyebrow, almost looking amused at her ignorance. "Really? With magic, all things are possible; _Imet Alesar_ is constructed entirely out of Timeshift stones."

"If the _Alesar_ is made from Timeshift stones, and these crystals clearly emit _heat_, then why is everything snowy and cold?" she asked skeptically.

"How should I know?" he retorted. "Hylia is the one who created this mountain; maybe you should ask her. Basically, though, the very air we are breathing is laced with the aura emanating from these rocks. That's why I healed much faster than I should have, why Amur is way too tall for his age, and so on. The stones have an interesting effect on mortals, namely altering their bodies to make them physically in perfect health."

"Wait, how does that affect Amur's height?"

"He's only eleven, Zel. Because he's going through so many growth spurts at this point in his life, the mountain seems to be altering those spurts as they happen, causing him to grow taller."

She felt a flash of worry. "Would any of that affect him negatively?"

"No, he's fine," Kao reassured her. "The mountain doesn't _harm_ people, it _heals_ them. He's perfectly safe here."

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: **I suppose now would be a good time to provide translations, eh? _Ka'riko _is the Sheikah name for Kakariko; basically, it means "Shadow Well" or "Dark Well," depending on how _ka_ is pronounced. _Siukmi_ actually means "Music." And _Imet Alesar_ literally means "Time Shift." So...now you know. XD By the way, this is more of a filler story explaining a lot of the stuff that will happen later on. And explaining why Amur is insanely tall later on in his life. And who is Kyrilu? ...you'll find out. XD


	6. The Door

**A/N: **This chapter is really short. You have my apologies.

* * *

**5: The Door**

"So how is Link doing?" Kao asked.

Zelda shrugged, taking his hand and studying the tattoos that laced his wrist and fingers. "He seems fine. He was working on driving the rest of the monsters out of the kingdom for a while, but now that everything is peaceful he's been living in the village. For a ten-year-old, he's adapted quickly, although he does still jump at the slightest noise. I think it's taking a while for it to sink in that he's finally safe."

"Good," the Sheikah replied quietly. "And Starflare?"

She grimaced. "He's gone."

Kao stiffened. "_Gone_? Gone where?"

"He left Hyrule a week and a half ago; we don't know where he is now. He said he'd return in a year or two, but I'm not all too happy that he vanished."

"He took the Dragon Sword with him, didn't he?"

"Yeah, but he promised he'd take good care of it," she answered, tracing the black marks around his wrist, a stylized script written in a language she couldn't decipher.

Amur abruptly entered the cave, interrupting any response. "I need to show you something," the boy said quickly, his eyes wide with excitement.

Kao frowned, but stood up, pulling Zelda with him. "What is it? Can it wait?"

"It _can_, but trust me, you're gonna _want_ to see this," Amur replied, grinning. "Come on, it's awesome and strange and out of place and you just _have_ to see it!"

The Sheikah and the princess exchanged a look, then Kao sighed. "Fine. Show me."

The followed the teenager out into the snow, where he led them straight to the center of the massive, icy valley, pointing down at what appeared to be a stone door, buried in the drifts. Immediately, Kao let go of Zelda's hand and knelt, running his hand over the carved runes on the stone, blatantly surprised.

"Really weird, huh?" Amur asked, crouching next to him. "I was just wandering, when an ice drake came by; I dove under the snow to avoid confrontation with it, and found this door. I obviously dug it out a bit before I came to get you. I wanted to make sure it really was something interesting, not just a rock. That's the Sheikah eye in the center, isn't it?"

Kao nodded, inspecting the center of said eye, where there was a serrated hole forming the pupil. "I think you may have just discovered my father's forge."

"Your father's…_what_?" Zelda asked, looking confused. "What does your father have to do with anything?"

"He was a metalworker; he made over half of the weapons of the _Shaekar'i_ tribe. He told me that his forge, where he made everything, was concealed deep within _Alesar_. In the past month that I've been here, I was searching for it, but it eluded me. Amur, what you have discovered is more valuable than you knew."

The boy raised an eyebrow, bemused. "So if this place is so awesome and everything…how do we get in? You said once that Sheikah doors are impossible to open without the key."

Kao smiled, reaching into his boot and pulling out a short, jagged, violet-white crystal that shone brightly with an otherworldly light. "I already have the key. My father gave it to me when the castle first came under attack. I…I think he knew he wasn't going to make it out of there alive."

"Well don't keep us waiting; I want to know what's inside," Zelda said, eager for more clues about Kao's always-elusive life. "And what kind of person uses a glowing rock for a key?"

"The kind of person who doesn't want the way in to be obvious," he answered softly, carefully inserting the crystal into the lock. It fit neatly, making a low humming sound before the runes began to glow, the door sliding open seemingly of its own accord, revealing stone stairs that went down five steps before turning sharply to the left.

"Sheikah doors are weird," Amur observed for the second time. "You're going to dive down the creepy hole first, right?"

Kao ruffled his hair good-naturedly, nodding, then went down the staircase warily, entering the darkness.

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: **The glowing, crystal key that Kao used to open the door is _awesome_. I actually own it, by the way; for once, I'm not inventing the thing out of my own imagination. XD There is a picture of it on the "Storage Room" page of the Dragon Series website. Go to my profile for a link to the site. :o)


	7. Armor

**A/N:** Another short chapter. Forgive the lack of regular updates; I've been...preoccupied recently. And by "preoccupied," I mean I had a Sherlock marathon and now have the darned consultant stuck in my head. Don't worry, I'm _not_ going to write _any_ Sherlockian fanfics. _Ever_. Didja miss me?

* * *

**6: Armor**

Kao paused before the solid, wooden door at the bottom of the steps, studying it carefully. Aside from a simple doorknob and a symbol carved into the wood, it seemed ordinary. He opened it slowly, unsure of what he would find within, and stepped through into utter blackness.

"Kao…?" Zelda asked nervously; the darkness unnerved her, and she found herself reaching out until she found his shoulder, gripping it tightly to provide herself with some form of stability.

He sighed, then a bright, orange flame flared to life in his hand without warning, causing her to flinch at the sudden light. He glanced over his shoulder at her, frowning, then looked around, the fire illuminating a massive room, a forge in the center, benches, tables, and various equipment lining the walls along with racks upon racks of weapons.

"Wow!" Amur breathed amazedly, gazing up at an array of glittering knives, each one unique. "Where did all of this come from?"

"Knowing my father, he forged all of it himself," Kao replied, brushing Zelda's hand off to go ignite the torches built into the walls, providing further light, then he went to the enormous, stone forge, running his fingertips through the glittering, black ash before tilting to peer up the chimney. "It's been blocked with snow; no wonder I couldn't locate it."

The princess glanced around warily. "These weapons could destroy an entire army. No Hylian or Gerudo-made steel could withstand the might of a Sheikah-forged blade."

Kao chuckled softly, picking up a long sword from a bench and inspecting it closely. "True…if these blades were in skilled hands. It is the wielder that makes the weapon, not the other way around."

"This is beyond awesome," Amur muttered to himself, poking around until he reached a large, wooden wardrobe-type piece of furniture; he tried opening it, but it was locked tight. "What do you think is inside this thing?" he called, scowling at it.

Kao joined him, placing his hand over the lock and murmuring something, his palm glowing gold for an instant before the lock clicked and he pulled the twin doors open. A small part of his mind froze for an instant, then he quickly jumped back on instinct, one hand going to his knife reflexively before he realized that it wasn't alive.

"Is that…?" Amur asked, trailing off when he saw the stunned expression in Kao's eyes.

"A _Nioar Naclaes_," Zelda whispered, feeling as shocked as Kao looked. "How did your father get the armor of a _Nioar Naclaes_?"

Her words seemed to restart something in the Sheikah's mind, and he grimaced, annoyed with himself for briefly stalling, then began inspecting the armor, his keen gaze noting the various symbols engraved in the silvery-gold metal. "It isn't Gerudian armor; this is _Shaekar'i_ steel, more specifically a rare type of material known as _rota'kallun_. _Laii sanis siunla resae retiiram ai nillenlaeka._"

Amur scowled. "Huh?"

Zelda slapped him upside the head, causing the man to flinch and step away, giving her a baffled stare. She rolled her eyes. "Speak Hylian."

It took a moment for Kao to realize what she meant, and he reddened slightly, looking vaguely embarrassed. "Right. Sorry about that."

Amur cocked his head. "You don't usually do that."

"Do what?"

"Switch to the shaky-whatsit language in mid-speech," the boy answered flippantly, flashing a smirk.

"_Shaekar_," Kao corrected mildly, amused. "_Shaekar_ was my first language; I didn't learn Hylian until I was around five or six, so do forgive me if I occasionally lapse into my native tongue when I am stressed."

"Why would you be stressed, though?" Zelda asked, bewildered.

"My father apparently forged this suit, despite the fact that no Sheikah in the history of the four realms has _ever_ worn any form of protective covering, let alone a full ensemble of plate armor. What is even stranger, it is quite clearly based off of the Gerudian _Nioar Naclaes_. My father never failed to express his contempt for the desert people; that he would use their culture as a basis for his designs doesn't make sense."

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

**Translations: **

_"Nioar Naclaes." _= Iron Fist (Pronounced "Nye-oh-are Nack-lays." The in-universe term for what we Legendaries call Iron Knuckles)

_"Shaekar'i." _= Sheikah's. The language (and the Sheikah themselves) is called _Shaekar, _pronounced "Shake-are." Hence why Amur calls _Shaekar_ the "shakey-whatsit language." XD

_"Rota'kallun." _= Starsteel (Special type of Sheikah metal; first introduced in _Guide of Darkness_. Which chronologically takes place 3,000 years after this.)

_"Laii sanis siunla resae retiiram ai nillenlaeka." _= "My father must have made it himself."

**A/N:** So, yes, Hylian is _not_ Kao's first language, which is why he usually sounds so poetic and formal; he hasn't mastered the nuances of Hylian like idioms, contractions, and whatnot.


	8. Truth

**7: Truth**

Seeing that Kao was apparently not in the mood to talk further, Zelda carefully extracted both herself and Amur from the forge and they went to the crystal cave, leaving the Sheikah to sort through things on his own.

"I don't get it," Amur blurted after a few minutes of awkward silence.

Zelda eyed him, waiting, then sighed when he didn't elaborate on the outburst. "Don't get what?"

The boy frowned at her. "Every other sentence, its 'my father this," or 'my father that.' It's like he idolizes the man."

"Well, Kao was very close to his father," Zelda answered carefully, unsure of where the conversation was going. "He was hit really hard by his dad's death, so that forge must seem like one of the last connections he has to him."

"But…_why_? Why was he so close to him?"

The princess detected an underlying note of resentment from the young man, but she didn't understand it. "Because the man was his _father_, Amur. The man who _raised_ him. He loved his dad, and his dad loved him."

"'Loved him?'" the lad repeated skeptically. "Why?"

Zelda got the feeling that he wasn't really listening to her. "Because Kao was his _son_. He didn't need a reason. Didn't your father ever…" she trailed off quickly, everything dawning on her at once. It wasn't that he wasn't listening, it was that he truly didn't comprehend what she was saying.

Amur's gaze darkened, and he turned away from her. "No. No he didn't," the preteen replied softly, his voice abruptly flat and emotionless.

"Amur, I'm sorry, I didn't know-"

"No," he interrupted sharply. "No one but Kao knew; don't blame yourself for my father's mistakes. He did, and it almost turned him into a murderer."

Zelda had the sickening feeling that she knew who the boy was talking about: the man in Kakariko that Kao seemed to hold an irrational hatred for. "Is his name Jurian Kyrilu?"

He flinched visibly. "Yes."

She suddenly had the overwhelming urge to hug the boy, and before he could protest or react, she gathered him in her arms, holding him close to her. He stiffened slightly, then relaxed, returning the embrace and burying his face into her neck. She stroked his hair slowly, sighing. "I'm sorry if I brought up bad memories. We…we all have things in our past that we don't want to talk about."

"Not your fault," he mumbled. "I just…I just don't really know anything about fathers. Kao tells me that my father isn't how a normal dad should be, but I've never _seen_ a normal dad, so I don't…"

"Sure you have," she replied quietly. "You have Kao."

She felt him go rigid for an instant, then he raised his head to meet her gaze, his green eyes glistening with tears. "Kao? But he's…he my friend, not my dad…"

"Family is a bit more than who you're related to, Amur. Kao may not be your family by blood, but from what I've seen, he's been a father to you for the past four years."

The boy looked strangely excited suddenly in spite of his tears. "Really? You're not lying?"

"Amur, when have I _ever_ lied to you?" Zelda chided gently. "I mean it."

"He was going to do it, you know," he answered sullenly.

She was puzzled. "Who? Do what?"

"Kao. He was going to kill Kyrilu. He had his knife out, started to drive the blade into my dad's chest. If I hadn't yelled at him to stop…he would have done it. Barely turned his blade aside in time. Dad has a pretty nasty scar now. I shouldn't have stopped him. I…I wanted my father to die. Sometimes I still do. But as much as I hate my father, seeing Kao kill him would have been…too much. I didn't want my friend to become a murderer."

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: **I _was_ going to wait until much later to reveal more about Kyrilu, but I decided...well, heck with it, this is going to be a short story, with short chapters, so I'm not going to draw things out. Poor Amur. And Kao...well, he has an _incredibly _strong protective instinct. If he sees a seven-year-old kid in immediate danger from the kid's own father, he's going to get _very_ angry. They're going to go to Kakariko in one or two more chapters, whereupon Zelda will realize the consequences of the princess of Hyrule randomly sneaking out the window in the early dawn, not telling anyone where she was going, and leaving _no one_ in charge during her absence. Needless to say, Link is going to be _livid_.


	9. Dark

**A/N: **I'm back! Yes, when you're working on several stories at once, it can take a while to update, so forgive me for my random absences. And for my _Smallest Light _fans...no, Nilrem is not going to appear in this chapter, in spite of the title. XD

* * *

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**8: Dark**

Zelda sat with Amur quietly, unsure of what to say, until the boy shook off her hands and stood up, scowling slightly. "If you're bringing Kao back to Kakariko with you, then I'm coming, too."

She got to her feet as well, glancing at the sky. It was almost noon already; how had that happened? "We discussed that; Kao's worried about what might happen if either of you run into Kyrilu."

Amur snorted, unwinding a long strip of blue cloth from his wrist and using it to tie his hair back out of his face. "Simple: he can't hurt me anymore. I'm not as weak as I used to be, and he'll regret it if he tries messing with me."

"As the ruler of Hyrule, I think I should point out that I can't let either of you kill him," she said wryly, turning back to the forge entrance.

"Oh, I wouldn't _kill_ him," Amur assured her, causing her to sigh in relief. Then he flashed a positively evil smirk. "Maybe just maim him a bit. Tear off a few limbs or cut off his tongue."

She froze in horror, and he laughed, striding past her nonchalantly and going down the stairs. Zelda sighed again, this time in exasperation, and followed him. "It's good to know you can still have a sense of humor in all this…"

"Something funny?" Kao asked mildly as they entered the forge.

Zelda did a double-take; he was no longer wearing the light tan, ragged civilian clothes, but rather a midnight-blue bodysuit, the _Shaekar'i_ eye stylized in dark red on one shoulder, and a strange, stormy gray symbol on the chest. He was currently in the process of strapping a long, thin sword to his hip, already wearing several other knives she'd never seen before, and the _Siukmi _was now strapped securely to his back, a splash of glittering gold amidst the ominous color scheme.

"T-t-that…that's new," she finally stammered, mentally kicking herself for being so easily distracted. She'd always thought he was handsome, but seeing him dressed in the equipment of a Sheikah assassin, he suddenly looked dangerously alluring, his blood-red eyes glowing brightly in the flickering light from the lit torches.

He grinned, double-checking that the sword was secure before wrapping a long, dark blue cloth around his head and face, transforming him from her best friend into a mysterious, shadowy figure, his eyes the only part of him still showing.

"You're too dramatic, you know that?" Amur complained, grunting in annoyance.

Koa chuckled softly, walking over to them. "If I'm going to return to Hyrule, I may as well do it properly. My old outfit was ruined when I was impaled by a giant sword and crushed under a tower; I can't very well go back to being the Shadow if I'm wearing plainclothes, can I?"

"I'm sure you'll be able to scare Link a lot easier now," she finally answered lightheartedly, calmer now that she'd had a moment to adjust to the change, although she still couldn't get over how incredibly deadly he looked in his new gear.

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: **I would _love _to draw Kao in his new gear, but sadly, my skills aren't that good, and I wouldn't want to butcher his look. Think "Sheik," but really, _really_ dark blue all over. In other words, Sheik just got scarier. Maybe, after my skills have improved, I'll try drawing him.


	10. Glow

**9: Glow**

"How'd it get to be so late already?" Zelda wondered when they left the forge; the sun was beginning to sink lower to the horizon, and the shimmering, bluish-white snow was fading to gray.

Kao gazed upward, seemingly unsurprised. "_Imet_ _Alesar_. Giant Timeshift Stone. Remember?"

"It messes with you," Amur put in with a smirk. "Time can pass either slower than normal or faster than normal here, while in Hyrule, everything stays the same."

The princess didn't quiet understand how that was even possible, but then again, the mountain was so strange that she didn't bother worrying about it. Then it hit her. "Time's passing faster than normal?!"

Kao shrugged. "Yes. What of it?"

"Link is going to _kill_ me!" she exclaimed, burying her face in her hands.

The Sheikah looked mildly confused. "I don't think that's likely."

"No, you don't understand; I left this morning without letting _anyone_ know I was leaving! And I was supposed to meet with Link today about reopening trade with the Gorons!"

"Oh dear," he responded mildly, not quite able to keep the amusement out of his voice.

"It's not funny!" she moaned. "How am I supposed to lead a kingdom if I can't even remember the most _basic_ of duties?"

"I'm sure he'll forgive you," Kao replied, doing his level best to keep from laughing. "He _is_ a hero, and it would be unbecoming of him to murder the princess."

"Easy for you to say," she growled. "You're not the one he's going to be mad at! Have you _seen_ Link when he gets angry? He's terrifying!"

"We'll worry about that when we actually get there," Kao said, his eyes fixed on the last of the sunset. "For now, enjoy the show."

"_What_ show?" she asked, bewildered.

Amur chuckled, also watching as the last of the sun's rays disappeared, then he spun on one heel and stared at the moon, a pale, white sliver beginning to show over the mountaintop. "It's coming alive!" the boy answered her happily, his eyes wide with excitement.

With a jolt, Zelda understood, and she instinctively drew nearer to Kao as, with not a second of warning, the snow flashed with blue fire. She closed her eyes reflexively, only cracking them open when Kao tapped her lightly on the nose with one finger.

The sight that greeted her was both unreal and a living version of one of her most cherished memories; the mountain itself seemed to _move_ as sapphire flames of light danced over the snowdrifts, the very air shifting to an ethereal glow.

Kao placed an arm around her shoulders, smiling behind his veil at the look of awe on her face. "I never tire of the beauty of this sight."

Amur glanced at them and rolled his eyes. "You're looking at _her_, weirdo."

"Exactly," he shot back, chuckling softly when Zelda blushed. "A pity we cannot stay long; an angry Link is waiting."

"Stop reminding me!"

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: **All of my poetry and descriptive writing is woefully inadequate to describe the mental picture I have of how _Imet Alesar_ looks at night. Just go play _Twilight Princess_, go to Snowpeak Mountain, wait until nightfall, go to the highest peak(preferably where the howling stone is), and picture _that_, with a sapphire blue version of the Aurora Borealis shimmering over it. Maybe one of you can even use clever photomanipulation to portray it. And yes, Kao does flirt shamelessly with Zelda when the mood strikes him. Apparently, the mountain makes him romantic. XD


	11. Lecture

**10: Lecture**

One look at the Hero's face as they entered Kakariko, and Kao knew that Zelda had not been exaggerating his wrath; Link's sapphire-blue eyes were actually _glowing_ with anger, although the rest of him looked calm and collected. Not for the first time, Kao was impressed by the young man's ability to keep himself under control.

"Get inside," Link growled curtly, jerking his head at the door to the house Zelda had been staying in. "Just how irresponsible are you?" Link asked after they had complied, his voice so soft and gentle-sounding that Zelda thought she's misheard at first. He took two steps forward, his gaze flicking to both Kao and Amur before his attention was once again fixed solely on the princess. "Skipping an appointment, I understand," he continued, still deceptively quiet. "Wanting to go off and explore, I understand. Doing both without letting anyone know beforehand? Princess, I can only _hope_ that you have a good excuse this time."

She bit her lip uneasily, clasping her hands tightly together in front of her. "I was being impulsive; I don't have an excuse."

His shimmering eyes narrowed into a scowl. "This is the fifth time something like this has happened. Your impulsiveness is going to run this kingdom into the ground if you don't end it. This is the _second_ time I've had to give the Gorons an excuse for you not attending an important trade meeting. I can't keep covering for you, Zelda; either step up and actually act like the ruler of Hyrule, or step down and appoint someone in your place. Hyrule is already suffering, and it doesn't need someone who isn't doing anything beneficial."

Kao bristled at Link's open hostility, glaring at him. "I would advise that you show more respect, Hero."

"No, you're in as much trouble as she is," Link growled, not backing down. "I'm practically running this kingdom on my own, and I'm sick of having to cover for Zelda's frequent absences. Princess, I understand that you've been living as a Sheikah for seven years, but those days are over, and we all need to change, otherwise Hyrule is even worse off than it was under Ganon's reign."

Secretly, Kao was impressed at how mature the hero had become in the month since he'd left, but he was also annoyed because, as much as he hated to admit it, Link had a point.

Zelda seemed to have come to the same conclusion, and she sighed, staring at the floor to avoid meeting his burning gaze. "I'm sorry, Link. You're right. I promise, I'll never do it again; I don't want Hyrule to die anymore than you do."

The unnatural glow in the hero's eyes faded into his normal, sky-blue color, and he shook his head slightly. "Look, I don't want to come off as mean or harsh. It's just…stop scaring me, okay? When you vanish like that, I'm never sure if it's because you just ran off, or if something happened to you. I don't know all of this political stuff, and without you, I have no clue how to run a kingdom."

"Oh, I don't know; you seem to be doing a better job than me," Zelda answered dryly, relieved that he wasn't angry anymore.

"But I _shouldn't_," he explained, exasperated. "_You_ are the ruler of Hyrule, not me; I should be no more than an advisor, not the one that everyone runs to for advice!"

"I promise, Link, I'll step up and do a better job. I guess I just need someone to keep reminding me that I _am_ a princess. I've been living in the wilderness for so long that sometimes I forget."

He nodded, then glowered at Kao. "Don't think you're off the hook yet, Sheik."

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: **Hopefully I explained everything well enough. If not, feel free to ask me questions in your review. That is, assuming that you _do_ review. To sum up: Zelda has been living as a Sheikah for seven years, ever since she was nine years old; therefore, she's not used to being a Hylian princess anymore, so she's really struggling with adapting back to her native culture. And take a hint from me: if something in my book series _glows_, then that is a major hint of magic at work. When Link is mad, his eyes glow, because he is literally brimming with magic. In this universe, magic can be influenced easily by strong emotions such as love or rage, and those emotions can manifest quite _visibly_ in magic-wielders. And yes, Link -sweet, funny, naive, childlike Link- can be quite scary when he's mad. He's grown up a bit since the events of_ Dragon Sword_, mainly due to having to run a country almost single-handedly.


	12. Political

**11: Political**

The tensions calmed down somewhat, the four of them sat around a table, Link eyeing Kao with a mixture of annoyance and fascination. "When did you get new clothes?" he asked, his curiosity finally getting the better of him.

"Today," Kao responded simply, causing Amur to laugh at the hero's irritated scowl.

Link switched his attention to the boy, somewhat confused by his presence. "So you are…?"

He grinned, extending one hand. "Amur Kaosan. You can just call me Amur, or 'sir.'"

"Like that'll happen," Zelda murmured, smirking. "He's just a random kid that Ka-_Sheik_ and I happen to know."

Link raised an eyebrow, the almost-slip confirming his longtime suspicion that the princess knew Sheik's true identity. "And my weird guardian has been absent from Hyrule for so long because…?"

"I lost a good-sized portion of my torso to an enchanted sword, a tower collapsed on me, and I died," Kao responded, rolling his eyes. "It took a while to heal from all that, naturally."

Link glared at him. "You're not telling me something."

"I keep a lot of secrets; that should hardly surprise you anymore."

"So now what? If you're back, then that means…"

"It signifies that I have returned. Nothing more."

The hero looked frustrated by Kao's evasiveness, but didn't press further, instead meeting Zelda's gaze. "Clearly, you're not used to being in charge, and I don't like politics and telling lies to cover for you. However, you can't stay trapped here all the time because you're used to freedom, and being stuck in one place will drive you crazy."

She frowned. "How did you guess that?"

He smiled slightly. "Both your frequent irresponsibility, and the fact that I've been feeling kinda trapped, too. I get it; we're both used to wandering all over Hyrule, not sitting on a throne suffocating in diplomacy. That's why I think we need to figure out a new system."

Zelda looked mildly hopeful, but also a bit wary. "What kind of new system?"

"Hyrule has changed, Zel," the hero replied gently. "We can't do things by the old rules anymore, but we can't be irresponsible, either. You're every bit as much a warrior as you are a queen. If you can just settle down and be polite and diplomatic for two years, then as soon as you're coronated, you can make a few changes to the laws."

"Uh…what kind of changes would we be talking about, exactly?"

He shrugged. "Hey, you know your way around Hyrule as well as I do; appoint someone your second in command, and you can actually take turns between politics and actually getting out there. Once you're queen, you can make it so that there won't be a fuss if you decide to explore places such as Death Mountain, to visit the Gorons, or the river, to see the Zora. You can make trips all over the kingdom in the name of diplomacy if you just tweak a few laws after you're coronated, and that way, you won't feel trapped."

Again, Kao was impressed; he could see that Zelda was drinking in every word eagerly, a testament to how persuasive and charismatic Link could be. Truth be told, the Sheikah quite approved of the plan. It made more sense than any other scheme he'd ever thought of.

Zelda glanced at Kao at if for permission; he gave a tiny, encouraging nod, and she smiled. "Okay, Link. I like the sound of that." She took a deep breath, as if to steady herself. "Two years, though?"

"A mere princess can't actually change laws," Link reminded. "It's not too long, if you think about it; your seventeenth birthday is in three weeks, and then it's really only one year until coronation."

"Okay. Thank you."

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N:** A few more more chapters, then _Under the Mountain Sky_ will be complete and I'll be able to start working on the third book in the Old Hyrule Saga. :o) And that one has way more action and fun than this; I know _UtMS_ is sort of boring compared to my other stories because it has a lot of diplomacy and random flirting, so I'm looking forward to giving you guys something more exciting(and heart-wrenching) to read. No, I will not explain that comment. XD


	13. Confrontation

**12: Confrontation**

"Hey, where'd your friend, Amur go off to?" Link inquired mildly, glancing at the empty seat.

Kao visibly stiffened and stood up quickly, his hands curling into fists. "He must have slipped out while he were talking."

Zelda saw the faint glow beginning to suffuse his irises. "Sheik, don't do anything rash," she cautioned hurriedly, standing as well.

"Don't worry about it," he growled darkly. "If anyone dies today, it will be premeditated."

"What's going on?" Link asked, thoroughly confused by their strong reactions. "There's no danger here in Kakariko, you know; it's not like he could have gotten himself hurt."

Kao gave him such a furious glare that the hero actually took two steps back, unnerved by the dark warrior's abrupt aggression. Without further speech, the Sheikah left the house, slamming the door behind him.

Zelda bit her lip, exchanging a worried look with Link before running out the door after him; Kao was already stalking through the village, the citizens giving startled yelps as the tall, shadowy man pushed through them without consideration, his glowing eyes darting back and forth, scanning for the boy.

He heard a yell from the graveyard, and immediately broken into a run, darting swiftly through the long corridor and coming out to see a man wrestling Amur to the ground; a knife flashed, and Kao growled wordlessly, charging forward and slamming into them, the man's blade sinking deep into his arm as he was tackled to the by the enraged warrior.

Disregarding the knife, Kao bashed his forehead into the man's face, and rammed a knee into his gut, causing the Hylian to give a gasping cry of pain and double over, pinned to a gravestone by his throat.

_"Lak shati salun nillen!"_ Kao snarled, slamming the man's head against the stone. _"Laekera askii faela kiraes, kasika!"_

Zelda halted Link from running to them; she knew full well who the Hylian was, and knew that if the hero tried to intervene, there would be two bodies on the ground.

"He'll kill him!" Link protested urgently.

"I know," she gritted out reluctantly. "But it's not our place to intervene."

Kao's grip tightened, and he glowered furiously into the Hylian's eyes. "I warned you to stay away from him, Kyrilu," the Sheikah ground out, his hands flickering with an eerie, black fire. "I told you what would happen if you ever touched him again."

Jurian Kyrilu gave an ugly smile. "You won't kill me; you're too soft, just like my _krak_ of a son."

Amur picked himself up off the ground slowly and looked over at Kao. "Don't murder him, _Salla_," the boy called out, gasping and wincing in pain.

"Stay out of this, whelp!" the Hylian snapped, coughing at the pressure against his throat. "You were always weak!"

Kao narrowed his eyes, on the verge of just throttling the man to death, but he instead turned his head to meet his friend's gaze. " What happens next is your choice, _San_," he said with a sudden gentleness.

Surprise showed in Amur's eyes for an instant, then he stood a bit straighter, squared his shoulders, and spoke again with a strange authority. "Don't murder him. That's the cowardly, Hylian way to deal with enemies."

"Then what would you have me do?" Kao asked softly, lowering his gaze in deference.

Amur stared at his father coldly, and Kyrilu began to look a bit frightened, unsure of what his son would say. Then, to everyone's surprise, the boy cracked a smile. "_Za nillen ina nami no owa winoa'sa Shaekar'i zikara._"

Kao nodded, hauling a now-terrified Kyrilu up and restraining him tightly by the arms. "As you wish, _San_."

"What did he just say?" Link asked urgently, fighting the desire to just shove past Zelda and save the man from whatever Sheik was going to do to him.

To his astonishment, Zelda also smiled. "He's giving him a fair chance. Traditional Sheikah punishment for a crime: he must go through the gauntlet."

"What? No!" Before Link could do anything about it, Kao had muttered something and abruptly vanished in a flash of gold light, Kyrilu disappearing with him.

Zelda stopped blocking the path and went over to Amur, touching his shoulder warily. "Hey, are you okay?"

The boy nodded, his entire body trembling, and he hugged her for stability as much as for comfort. "Kao came before he could hurt me again," the young teen whispered.

"Where did he take that man?" Link demanded. When no answer came, he grew frustrated. "Will one of you _please_ explain what just happened?"

"That was that man who sired me," Amur snapped bitterly. "As you witnessed, we're…enemies. Kao's dealing with him for me."

"What's going to happen to him? Will he die?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Undoubtedly, though, he will. No Hylian has ever survived the gauntlet."

"You _want_ your father to die?!" Link exclaimed, horrified.

Amur bared his teeth savagely. "He is not my father! I may be related to him, but I have no connection to him other than hatred. Hyrule will be better off without him."

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

**Translations:**

_"Lak shati salun nillen!"_ : "Stay away from him!"

_"Laekera askii faela kiraes, kasika!" _: "I should kill you, coward!"

_Krak _: Hyrulean equivalent of calling someone a b*****d. Note that I am against cussing in general, but this word is being used here to mean "illegitimate." There's a reason why Amur's mother is never mentioned.

_Salla _: Friend

_San _: Son

_"Za nillen ina nami no owa winoa'sa Shaekar'i zikara." _: "Give him a taste of old fashioned Sheikah's justice."

* * *

**A/N: **When Kao said "As you wish" at the end, he was literally saying "I love you." Princess Bride fans will know what I'm talking about. Amur was mildly surprised by Kao's choice of words because his best friend called him his _son_. The "Gauntlet" that is mentioned is actually the Shadow Temple. If Kyrilu can make it to the end of the temple alive, then he'll be allowed to stay alive. If he doesn't...well, justice is served. The temple is infested with ReDads, Gibdos, a Dead Hand, Wallmasters, Stalfos, bottomless pits, guillotines, and acid, though, so it's doubtful that an ordinary human like Kyrilu would survive to the end. Basically, Amur doomed him. And no, I don't feel a shred of remorse; it's hard to explain to you guys just how much I hate Jurian Kyrilu, because you guys don't know him all that well, but I do, and I am glad he's finally gone.


	14. Shouting

**13: Shouting**

Link paced angrily in the house, ignoring Zelda and Amur, who had gone upstairs to leave him alone. The scenario kept replaying in his head, but without knowing what, or where, this 'gauntlet' that they mentioned was, there was no way he could intervene and rescue Kyrilu.

When Sheik entered the house several hours later, Link turned on him furiously. "Why would you do such a thing?! What right do you have to sentence a man to die?!"

The warrior looked undisturbed. "I don't have the right. Amur does. I followed his order, that is all."

"He's a little kid!" Link snarled, shoving him against the wall roughly. "He should never have been given that choice to make!"

"You are a kid as well, Hero," Sheik answered coldly. "Does that mean you should not have made the choice to kill Ganondorf?"

"That was different!" he protested. "Ganon was evil!"

"And so was Jurian Kyrilu," the man growled. "You knew nothing about him; I did. Today was not the first time I have encountered him. If you knew what that man, that _monster_, has done to Amur, you would not be so keen to save him."

"Forcing him to run a gauntlet that will kill him?" Link snapped. "Just stabbing him in the graveyard would have been more merciful!"

"No one ever said that I am a merciful man," Sheik replied dangerously. "Anyone who messes with my son answers to _me_."

Link was startled by the term 'son,' but he nevertheless persisted. "Just tell me where he is! Please! He can have a fair trial, be put in prison…"

"_What_ prison?" Sheik interrupted harshly. "Hyrule's prison was destroyed with the castle. Our only choice was to set him free or get rid of him." He took two paces forward until he was towering over Link threateningly, his eyes glowing with fury. "If you think for one moment that I would risk my son's life over that molester, you're wrong. _Do not_ contest me further, Hero."

Link backed up, stunned by the warrior's insinuation of what Kyrilu's crimes had been. Sheik glared at him silently for a moment longer, then grunted and shoved past the young man, stalking up the stairwell to the upper room.

Zelda gave him a frightened look upon entry, and immediately ran to his side, touching his arm, where there was a bloodstained bandage. "How bad is it?" she asked softly.

He hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. I healed it; just didn't bother taking the wrapping off." He glanced at the bed along the far wall, where a lump was hidden under a pile of blankets. "How is Amur doing?"

She bit her lip nervously. "He seems okay, if a bit shaken. Kyrilu?"

"Dead," Kao said flatly. "He did not make it past the third room."

"A-a-and Link?" she stammered warily, having heard the hero shouting downstairs.

"Upset at me," he growled. "It does not matter. Either he will hate me or get over it. I do not regret my actions today."

"Don't be mad at him. He doesn't understand Sheikah culture."

"Oh, I am not mad at _him_," Kao muttered, sounding vaguely amused. "Just…tired. A lot has happened today, and I need to think through it all. Link and I will reconcile our differences later. For now, I need to rest."

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: **Poor Amur. He's such an Iron Woobie I just want to give him a big hug. I'm pretty sure this chapter made some things clear about just what kind of abuse the kid has gone through in addition to the beatings. If you don't know what an Iron Woobie is, go to TV Tropes dot org and type it in the searchbar. Maybe someday I'll write a story that is solely about Amur and all the crap he's had to go through in his life, but for now, I think I'll avoid it because of the painful topics it deals with.


	15. Music

**14: Music**

Kao felt a slight tug on his back, and immediately whipped around and tackled Amur to the bed. "Just what do you think you're doing?" he asked playfully.

The boy rolled his eyes, not even bothering to struggle out of the warrior's firm, yet gentle grip. "Not my fault your reflexes are better than a lightning strike. I just wanted to see if I could actually manage to steal your harp this time."

"You need to get better at sneaking," the Sheikah laughed, releasing him and pulling out his golden harp, tossing it lightly to him; Amur caught it easily, his green eyes widening in surprise.

"You're really gonna let me use it?"

Kao shrugged. "Why not? You are my son after all," he added with a wink. "May as well get used to it."

Amur smiled. "You're not afraid I'm gonna accidentally teleport or start a fire or anything? And I don't remember you ever actually _adopting_ me."

"Sure I did," Kao replied easily, sitting next to him on the bed. "Last night. You can't truly wield that harp unless you can use magic, so no, you won't be able to activate any of its powers."

Amur looked up at him. "Your veil slipped off, you know."

Kao felt a flash of panic, then he realized that they were the only ones in the room and calmed down. "Has Link been in here at all while I slept?"

The boy shook his head. "Nope. He's still kind of mad at both of us. He and Zelda are wandering the village, doing diplomatic people stuff. Boring, really. Can you show me how to actually play the _Siukmi_? You've never let me touch it until now."

The Sheikah nodded. "Unlike other instruments, these strings aren't numbered, or categorized by tone. Each string can produce multiple sounds, depending on Keaton's mood. It is an object of magic, after all. You don't really _learn_, so much as you _feel_ how to play it. Go on, just try."

Amur hesitated, then lightly ran his fingers over two of the strings, creating a long, high note. His face broke into a wide grin, and he plucked a few more strings, resulting in a slightly erratic, loud tune. "He's actually letting me!"

Kao smirked, tapping one side of the harp. "Looks like Keaton likes you, after all. Here, let's have you playing at least one song. What would you like to learn?"

Amur thought for a moment, then looked excited. "Your song!"

"_My_ song?" Kao repeated with a bewildered chuckle. "What song would that be?"

"I don't know what it's called. Here, I'll try to play it." The boy concentrated on the instrument for a few second, then tentatively picked at a few strings, creating a slightly broken up tune; abruptly, Kao realized what he was trying to play, and reached out, running his hand swiftly across the _Siukmi_ to weave the notes into a fast-paced, lighthearted melody. Amur's eyes lit up. "Yeah, that! What is that?"

"It's actually _Keaton's_ song," Kao explained. "He wrote it himself one day, and insisted that I play it occasionally."

Amur focused on his moving hand, then began carefully following the notes; after a moment, Kao removed his hand and simply watched as the boy imitated the song near-perfectly.

_"Softly, silently, over grass and stone,"_ Kao sang softly in time with the upbeat tune, causing Amur to do a double take at him. _"The trackless one wanders far from his home; uncertain and confident, he presses on, ever looking for that ancient light."_

The boy stopped playing, staring at him in wonder. "I've never heard you sing before."

Kao shrugged, grinning. "I guess I haven't had much reason to sing lately."

The door creaked, and Kao immediately covered his face with the dark veil, frowning in annoyance at their having been interrupted as Link entered the room cautiously, halting when he caught sight of them.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Amur asked with an angry glare, handing the harp back to his adopted father.

The hero dipped his head awkwardly, closing the door behind him. "Sorry."

The boy laughed. "Hey, lighten up! I'm only joking. Sheik once told me that they don't even _have_ doors where you're from."

Link looked a bit startled, giving Kao a suspicious look; the Sheikah merely stored the _Siukmi_ on his back and dipped his head in acknowledgment. "My apologies; I was a bit of a storyteller while I was stuck in once place with my injuries."

Link didn't respond at first, then he sighed. "Whatever. Could I talk with you, Sheik? Alone?"

Kao glanced at Amur, who nodded and jumped to his feet, sprinting past the hero and out the door; the Sheikah could hear his boots thumping on the stairs, and smiled. "What do you want, Link? Here to yell at me some more? I do not regret my actions."

Again, he didn't reply immediately, instead edging slowly across the room as if afraid Sheik would jump at him. When he was within four feet of the man, he halted, eyeing him. "I don't like what you did, and I don't think I'll ever agree with your view that it was necessary. However, if Zelda and I are to rebuild Hyrule, we'll need your help, and that means I can't stay mad at you. We have to work together."

Kao stood, nodding slightly, and gazed down into Link's hopeful eyes. "I told you once that I swore an oath to protect you. That means that no matter how rock-headed and irritating you can be, I have to stick by you at any cost. I threw myself in front of a sword for you, remember? I'm not going anywhere, and you have nothing to fear from me. You can trust me, Link."

The hero sighed again, this time sounding relieved, and tentatively held out one hand. "Can we just be friends now?"

Not for the first time, Kao was reminded of just how young his charge was; physically, he may have been a capable adult, but mentally, he was even younger than Amur. The Sheikah knew that one day, he would have to tell him the truth of who he was, of who _both_ of them were, but today was not that day. Today, they would just be friends.

He took the hero's hand, bowing his head slightly in a sign of respect. "Friends, then. I look forward to working with you, Link."

.

.

_**End**_

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N1: **The song that Kao and Amur played is actually "Sheik's Theme" from _Ocarina of Time._ And, **SPOILER ALERT: **Keaton _is_ the golden harp. Basically the same thing as Fi and the Master Sword, only...Keaton and the Harp. =D You hear that, LorixLucro? _THAT _is why Keaton is so weird. XD Aha, the mystery of the fox, solved at last! *Sigh* I feel so happy at being able to _finally_ tell you guys the truth about Keaton. :o)

**A/N2: **Yes, _Under the Mountain Sky_ is finished now! The next sequel, _The Mountain Swords_, will be published just as soon as I'm done tweaking the first few chapters, okay? Until it's published, you can go read _The Smallest Light _and _Guide of Darkness_ to satiate your thirst for literature. XD


End file.
